The thing that got me on two builds in a row was the power to the cpu. Its a separate 4 prong square plug that usually plugs in "up and left" on the board from the cpu if you are looking at an ATX board in a normal case (e.g. not a case that rotates the board 90 degrees). First time I didn't notice it and second time I forgot about it. "Christmas is tomorrow and this thing wont post!!!!" Best of luck. You are in good hands at OCN!

The thing that got me on two builds in a row was the power to the cpu. Its a separate 4 prong square plug that usually plugs in "up and left" on the board from the cpu if you are looking at an ATX board in a normal case (e.g. not a case that rotates the board 90 degrees). First time I didn't notice it and second time I forgot about it. "Christmas is tomorrow and this thing wont post!!!!" Best of luck. You are in good hands at OCN!

Ty

Haha, I'm embarrassed to say I also forgot to plug in my 8-pin connector the first time I built a rig. Needless to say that and the 24-pin are the FIRST I connect from now on

OP take your time, do not set any time constraints, focus and don't be nervous it is quite easy to do and will be a thrill the first time you boot it up.

As others have said make sure you enter the BIOS on first bootup to ensure all your parts are posting properly. Windows 7 I find takes some time to install but you can probably have it together before 12:00am, don't force anything and definitely do not overtighten any screws. The last thing you want is a cracked Motherboard .

Otherwise enjoy your build, post us some pictures when you get a chance.

Sweet thanks for the advice. From what I was readying it said to strip down to your underwear/boxers and run around your house three times. I guess I can skip that and just touch the case. A little less embarrassing. I don't get out of class until 10:30pm do you think I could complete the build before 12:00am? I know all the connectors and where everything is going to be located. I know that the operating system may take some time but I really just want to get the parts connected and functioning properly.

Wish I could just leave work and skip class, excited about making my first machine.

DO NOT RUSH!
And to answer your question, no I don't think you will do it in 1 -1.5 hours. (I am not challenging you)
Enjoy the ride.
Can it be done, yes.Edited by Couch Potato - 3/16/11 at 7:31am

Whatever I finish tonight I will take a picture of and post in this thread around 12:00am Eastern. I don't need much sleep so if I do pass 12:00am I'll just continue to keep working. Thanks for all the help and stay tuned for pictures if you are interested.

I know this has been said, but please don't rush the building. I only have two computer builds under my belt, but the first build I did gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed to do my second build.

I just did my first build last week. My greatest advice is stop if your getting tired. I started at like 6 and finally stoped at 12pm. The next day after resting I figured out that I had made a mistake with the theramal paste (put too much on) and had clean it off and redo. This was largely cause I was tired.

That and I had bought the CM V6 which took like 5 freaking times to get right. And I had to screw unscrew the mobo over and over again due to forgetting things like the back plate to the mobo, the V6 brackets were on wrong, the backplate was on wrong....